![Jena Malone Johanna Mason Jena Malone Offered Johanna Mason Role in Hunger Games: Catching Fire [Updated]](http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Jena-Malone-Johanna-Mason.jpg "Jena Malone Offered Johanna Mason Role in Hunger Games: Catching Fire [Updated]")
[UPDATE: Malone has won the role of Johanna Mason in Catching Fire. Scroll Down for Details]
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is easily one of the most anticipated sequels of the next few years, which is why it’s no wonder that so many young actors are vying to join the franchise. After opening to strong critical praise, The Hunger Games earned more than $660 million worldwide. Who wouldn’t want to get in on some of that action?
Late last month, we shared the news that Taylor Kitsch (Battleship), Garrett Hedlund (TRON Legacy), and Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) were in talks for the fan-favorite role of Finnick Odair. Today, we have some news to share about another fan-favorite character: Johanna Mason.
According to an exclusive report from Entertainment Weekly, actress Jena Malone (Sucker Punch) is being considered for the important role of Mason in the sequel. For those who haven’t read the books, Mason is a former Hunger Games victor from District 7, who won by pretending to be weak and then slaughtering the other combatants.
Malone isn’t the only actress allegedly in talks for the part. Model Zoe Aggeliki was recently rumored to be a contender for the role and actress Kristen Bell has made no secret of her desire to star in the movie as well. That said, Malone wouldn’t be a bad choice for the part (although she doesn’t quite match the way I pictured the character in my head).
![Catching Fire Finnick Kitsch Hedlund Hammer Jena Malone Offered Johanna Mason Role in Hunger Games: Catching Fire [Updated]](http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Catching-Fire-Finnick-Kitsch-Hedlund-Hammer.jpg "Jena Malone Offered Johanna Mason Role in Hunger Games: Catching Fire [Updated]")
Malone, who was seen most recently in the History Channel special Hatfields & McCoys, is roughly the right age for Mason and could bring a certain level of familiarity to the role for audiences without overshadowing some of the more prominent characters.
If Malone does get the part, she’ll be in good company. Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence will be returning to play heroine Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson will return as Peeta Mellark, rising star Liam Hemsworth (The Expendables 2) will get an expanded role as Gale Hawthorne, and Woody Harrelson is set for another round as mentor Haymitch Abernathy. That’s not including Academy Award nominee Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was recently offered the role of Plutarch Heavensbee.
UPDATE: THR reports that Jena Malone has now won the role of Johanna Mason, and is currently in final negotiations for the role.
What do you think of Jena Malone possible playing Johanna Mason? Is the actress a good fit for the part?
Source: EW
Update Source: THR
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Not what I had in mind.
I totally LOVE HER !!!
She did great in Suckerpunch.
What a perfect choice! She is almost exactly how I pictured Johanna looking! If they just darken her hair and eyes, BAM! There she is.
Good luck, Malone.
What happened to Mia Wasikowska??!! I think that Malone looks pretty good, but Kristen Bell has always been my dream choice. I love Johanna and Finnick, but I want to know about other characters: MAGS and WIRESS!!!
And I had no idea Phillip Seymour Hoffman was offered Plutarch! Not exactly what I pictured, but that would be so awesome if that came to be.
She’s perfect!
(Even though by the end of the second book I wanted to bash Katniss in the with a LARGE coil of wire myself..)
i need this movie to bomb so people would stop calling it the next harry potter/twilight already.
harry potter (for the record, im not the biggest fan) was big because of a timeless story that is food for your imagination that anyone can enjoy. as evidenced by raking in cash all over the world.
twilight (i hate this series) is also kind of a timeless story that is food for teen girls’ wet dreams that teen girls can enjoy. as evidenced by raking in cash all over the world, but everywhere consistently lower than potter’s broader fanbase.
hunger games is a good story, but isn’t exactly food for anything (mind? uh no, it doesnt exactly introduce any truly fresh thought provoking ideas). its a kind of satire, but its marred by the forced teeny bopper love triangle. and not to mention the mythology is weak at best. this shows in the fact that it made most of its dough in USA whilst elsewhere it was largely weak. now add that the sequel books suck azz compared to the first. and you have a recipe for the next narnia not harry potter or twilight –in terms of success of course.
The only ones calling it the next harry potter/twilight is the media. Fans of the series try avoid comparisons. Not food for anything? Have you not read the one million and one debates debates of which political party it most closely resembles? Or the articles discussing the politics of the novel and it’s similarity to the current movement? If the love story is really the only thing that stood out to you, you sadly missed the other more prominent themes of the series. It’s barely a sub-plot compared the rest of the story.
Chances are this movie isn’t going to bomb as you hope. As long as they continue to bring in real talent and not just a bunch of good-looking actors, these movies will continue to do well.
Dani…
VERY well said. There is more, thematically, in this trilogy than in 95% of the adult literature out there currently.
Dani… Way to shut up the negative nancy! Lol
@ Dani
Well said. I never read the books of Twilight or Harry Potter nor seen any of the films. I never read any of Hunger Games books but seen Hunger Games film & enjoyed it & look forward to Catching Fire. Problem with me usually when films are based off books or novels i usually see the movie before reading the book so im not as disappointed. A example be Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. One of his best stories imo. I enjoyed the film no doubt but enjoyed the book more. After seeing all the Hunger Games films, i’ll probly buy all the books.
The “youth” genre has gotten progressively more stupid to the point where I’ve actually started crying “HARRY! COME BACK, HARRY! I’M SORRY! HARRY!” since I used to do nothing but complain about how the Harry Potter movies were just stereotypes of witches and wizards thrown in with some actual pagan/witchcraft/whatever practices, random mythology, in a high-school for the gifted setting. I think what set it apart, though, is that somewhere in the silly setting, it somewhat tried to actually tell a story.
Harry Potter; the power of friendship and high-school is hard and s*** but I’ll get over it because I’m Harry Potter and I’m the chosen one b****, trololol, look at me, I’m so original, but at least I sorta try.
Twilight; how to be a whore and have a back-up dick. Really. Sorry, girls. You’re all a bunch of damn whores.
Hunger Games; how to act like you’re a strong woman but really be annoying and end up looking weak
because, SURPRISE, Hunger Games is actually a really bad love story.
The first Narnia was actually good, but of course, they dumb/divvy down certain details. Disney would now be able to get away with some of the violence in Narnia, so that’s just a shame. One of the characters was supposed to be green from blood loss. (Haven’t read the book in ages.) In the movie, where’s the blood? At least in Narnia you got Ra’s Al Ghul as Aslan.
Um, as a huge Harry Potter and Hunger Games fan, I would just like to say that NO ONE is comparing HG to HP. And besides, I love HG, but honestly, it has nothing on HP. And what do you even care if they do compare, ‘Renji’ because as you said, you don’t really care about HP or (BARF) Twilight?
Some times, people just don’t need to comment random hateful things….
She gave the best performance in Hatfields & McCoys, IMO. I loved her character.
I never really had a specific picture of Johanna as I read the books. Still, I could see Malone playing the part. If she’s choosen, I’d dig it.
I can’t speak to the character but Jena Malone is a fine actress. She and Evan Rachel Wood have done well playing young characters with an understanding of the world that exceeds their age.
Adored her in Sucker Punch. *SPOILER* Half-way to crying when *spoiler.*
Anyway!
Hunger Games was comparable to Twilight for me. That bad. The worst thing of all was the pacing and focusing on characters in silence for 10 to 15 seconds at a time. MOVE IT ALONG! Then there’s the “strong female character” just being an annoying try-hard female character (hrm, like we haven’t seen those before), a love story ALMOST as bad as Twilight, and uh, yeah, it just goes on. What a waste of money. My friend b****ed at me for about a week. Oh, yeah, and action blur. Major action blur. Horrible.
Honestly, I don’t understand how it did so well and how it garnered such positive criticism (oh, silly me, critics are in the money-pockets of those who want a good review.) Marketing, marketing, marketing.
People in the movie were laughing at parts not intended for laughter.
Also, there’s no way you’re going to convince me that that rich and influential emo citizenry is going to be that gullible to fall for a love story about as bad as Twilight. At least with Twilight you know the crap you’re getting into right away. This movie tricks you into thinking it’s something that it’s not.
Yes, I said “At least in Twilight…” believe it.
Why do you even bother commenting? Can you please go troll some where else?
Seems like the Golden Globe nominee is the best choice of the three… Hope Hammer gets the Finnick role, been campaigning since before the rumor.
Personally I thought Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars) would have been a good fit for Johanna.
Good for her. She deserves some attention.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
hunger games sucks big dirty b@llsacks. its intelligence is cliche, there’s a ridiculous amount of literature, movies etc. that have already treaded this ground
Renji…
Heaven forbid we should have intelligence in a book series or film. Dear Gott in Himmel! How can we possibly survive as a species if we expect our youth (and any adults) interested in provocative socio-political issues, including the development, both positive AND negative, of society’s mores while moving frighteningly faster into the uncertain, but ever more worrisome, future to read and think and consider? You’re right…better to have nothing better than Sunday Comics and “The Jersey Shore”. There IS too much intelligence out there; too much literature already FORCES our young people to look beyond themselves into a MUCH larger world.
Heaven forefend.
Heh-heh…seriously, do you actually think before you write comments like the above…or do you just enjoy going freeform?
The lead reads “one of the most anticipated films of 2012.” Gee, they’re making movies that quick, huh? Before even all of the characters are cast? Right.
i belive this was a good choice i cant imgine zoe a.throwing axes around.
but malone i can imagine after watching her in sucker punch as rockit. so good luck to malone may the odds be ever in your favor
Personally I thought that Naya R. (from glee) would have been a good choice. Or Zoe.a and Janell p. would have also been outstanding picks. Malone just doesn’t have that IT thing that I pictured. Maybe with darker hair and eyes, she will. Good luck Malone hope you pull it off.
She’s not at all like i pictured here! She doesn’t look like Johanna Mason did in my head! I really don’t hope this is gonna screw up the movie for me. I mean it’s hard when i pictured something completely different! I had really hoped that Naya Rivera would play the role as Johanna. She fits perfect for the role + she’s a fantastic actress. So sad it ended up being Jenna, but guess I’ll just have to get use to the thouht.
hey renji,i know everybody has there own personal opinions,BUT YOU HAVE NO STINKIN RIGHT TO DIS THE HUNGER GAMES LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM A DIE HARD HUNGER GAMES FAN AND IM FOND OF TWILIGHT AND HARRY POTTER AS WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PEOPLE LIKE YOU IRK ME!!!!!!! AND WE`LL SEE IF IT SUCKS WHEN JOHANNA THROWS AN AXE AT YOUR HEAD!!!!!!!! ahem…. sorry about my anger fit, you cant say something like that when fans are gonna read it. Okay, so Jena Malone did awesome in suckerpunch and i think shed be awesome as johanna. Johannas my favorite character in the whole series and i cant wait to see what catching fire is like!!